Time Warped
by N. Tanner
Summary: AU. After trying to help a lost dog Kagome finds a cursed shrine. Stuck indefinitely, Kagome can't leave the shrine grounds. But after meeting the dog-eared guardian there she might not want to leave after all...
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Inuyasha :( But if I did I would be a very happy human.

**Summary: **AU. When Kagome thinks she hears a dog barking near a "haunted" shrine on her way home from school one day she goes to check it out. The shrine grounds have been cursed to remain in the same time period for centuries. Unknown to Kagome, when she passes under the shrines archway she becomes trapped there as well. Along with a dog-eared half-breed who guards the grounds.

**Chapter 1: Time is but a fantasy! **

Kagome Higurashi walked leisurely home from school. A serene spring breeze tussled the bottom of her green school uniform skirt as she walked. She lived on the grounds of the Sunset Shrine, further away from school then any of her friends. Kagome hated the solitary walk to and from school every morning and afternoon. It was long and boring and there was never anything interesting to look at. Most of the walk consisted of a half mile deserted street that wound around the hill before her house.

She groaned inwardly as she looked up at the hill. _I seriously need to get Mom to let me bring my bike to school_, She thought. _This hill takes forever to walk up._

Begrudgingly, she started the annoying trek upwards. There were no shops or buildings around this area and very few cars ever drove by. Kagome was always told that at the top of the hill was another shrine like the one she lived in. It had been abandoned for as long as anybody knew. Once, as a middle schooler, she and her friends told her grandfather they were going to go ghost hunting at the abandoned shrine.

She rolled her eyes at the memory. Her grandfather had completely lost his cool and terrified them all by saying demons lived there and if they ever visited they would surely be eaten.

"Crazy old man. Still believes demons exist." She said to herself.

The faint sound of a dog barking off in the distance snapped Kagome out of her day dream. She stopped walking and looked up. Directly to her right was the set of stairs that supposedly lead up to the abandoned shrine. Thick, dense trees covered the area and made it impossible to see anything at the top of the stairs. The area had such a strange feeling to it that it gave Kagome the creeps.

The barking started again. The sound echoed through the trees and down the stairs.

_What on earth is a dog doing up there? _She wondered.

More barking echoed down the stairs. This time much more frantic than before.

Kagome loved dogs. Her little brother Souta had allergies to dogs so she had never been allowed to keep one as a pet before. Her enormously fat cat named Buyo was wonderful for snuggling with during winter but lacked in physical activity and affection.

Suddenly the barking ceased. Kagomes heart sank; unable to bear the thought of something bad happening to the dog she didn't even know.

Without a second thought she raced up the stairs to the abandoned shrine. The higher up the stairs the climbed the darker everything got. Trees blurred in her peripheral vision as she dashed to the top. With no end to the stairs in sight her heart started pounding in irrational fright. She ran faster and faster until she tripped over the final step and crashed into the flat pavement.

"Owww..." came out as an out-of-breath sigh.

Picking herself up off the ground Kagome took in her surroundings. Barely three feet in front of her was a red, traditional, shrine archway. From the sight of the weather beaten wood and peeled off paint Kagome wouldn't have been surprised if the archway was older than her grandfather. Despite its old and worn exterior there was something very powerful about the archway. It looked as though it demanded respect and obedience.

Past the archway was the old, dilapidated, shrine Kagome had heard so many stories about. The wood was rotten and some panels were missing. The small staircase leading up to the walking deck had collapsed. Only a small portion of the left side of the stairs remained intact. For better or worse, it looked like a grungy old shack.

_Find the dog and get out of here, Kagome. _She thought to herself urgently.

"Here...doggie, doggie, doggie..." She whistled to try and get its attention.

Kagome walked forward timidly. Keeping her eyes fixated on her surroundings for any signs of the dog.

"This is so creepy!" she whispered to herself. Trying to calm her own nerves. Where the heck was that dog? Didn't it know she was here to help it!

She stepped under the archway to the shrine and immediately regretted it. The wind suddenly kicked up and shoved her forward. Kagome thought she heard herself shriek but it was lost in the rush of the wind. Spooked beyond all repair Kagome turned sharply in the direction she came and raced down the stairs even faster then she had come up.

Something was different this time. No matter how quickly she raced down the steps the light at the end of the staircase never got bigger. Panic fluttered in her chest again and this time she knew she wasn't being irrational. The wind rushed by her again. Leaves got tangled in her hair without her even noticing.

Kagome turned around sharply to look back at the direction she was trying to flee from. To her amazement and horror the archway that she had just been running away from was right behind her again. It was like she hadn't moved at all.

_Whats going on! _

Her gaze shifted forward so she could continue running only to find herself staring down from the top of the staircase.

She hadn't moved.

She had run all that way, she was sure she had, but yet here she was in the same place she started.

Deep down she knew she was trapped.

The wind slowly died down and the stillness slowly calmed Kagome's panicked heart. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths.

_Think, Kagome. _She thought to herself. _There has to be some logical explanation behind all this. _

Thats right, there **had **to be a logical explanation to answer what was going on. Maybe she was on one of those strange reality television shows where your friends trick you into doing strange things. Maybe everything she was seeing now was just an illusion created with mirrors or something. Yeah, that had to be it.

Kagome shook her head and sighed. She knew what she was experiencing now was real. A twisted feeling gnawed at the corners of her brain and told her what she witnessed was as real as anything could ever be.

Trying to keep her mind at bay she turned around stared at the broken down old shrine.

_No sense just standing around here forever. _She mused.

Taking carefully guided steps she maneuvered the rotting and crippled wooden staircase that lead to the shrines viewing deck. Each step she took caused the old wood to creak and whine under her feet. She didn't need to walk very long to find the entrance to the inside of the shrines building (if you could even call it a building anymore).

The entrance to the building was covered with two pieces of diagonal wooden planks that formed an X. Kagome snorted and the feeble attempt at boarding up the entrance. Whoever had done it must not have really cared to keep people out. Or left in a great hurry...

Ducking under the triangular opening at the bottom of the wooden X Kagome stared at the center of the room in silent curiosity. The room itself was mostly empty. A few miscellaneous wooden boards were scattered or broken in weather beaten corners. In the center of the room stood a single wooden pillar.

The pillar looked to be in pristine condition. As if it had just been built and maintained recently. A small, white, pillow sat evenly on top. It cushioned a perfectly round, pink, jewel.

Kagome walked towards the jewel; entranced with curiosity. She reached one hand out to touch it, mesmerized by its simple beauty. As her hand drew closer the jewel emitted a flash of bright, pink, light.

Surprised, Kagome leapt backwards. The jewels bright pink light filled the room and pulsated with power.

Without warning, the light vanished and returned the room to darkness.

Dumbfounded, Kagome's right eye twitched uncharacteristically.

_Crazy, _She thought. _I __**must **__be going crazy. Thats the only explanation. I've lost it and now I'm hallucinating. _

All at once she was shoved to the ground with such force that the air in her lungs was knocked out. Frantically trying to force herself up off the ground her efforts were met with intense resistance. The weight on her back seemed like it was getting heavier with each struggled movement.

Kagome tried to turn her head to the side and get a look at what was weighing her down. As soon as her head turned a large, _clawed,_ hand crashed into the wood less than two inches from her face.

Eyes wide open in shock, Kagome stared helpless as the clawed hand slowly dragged itself up from the wood near her cranium.

"I didn't miss." Came a deep, snarling, voice from behind her.

The threat sent Kagome's thoughts into a wild frenzy.

_I'm going to die here,_

Her shoulder was yanked to the side by the same powerful, clawed hand. Forcing her to lie flat on her back.

_Mom, Souta, Grandpa, I'm sorry!_

Kagome's eyes closed tightly in fright. Just because she was going to die didn't mean she needed to see it happen.

A single clawed finger tip poked at the top of her throat. The terrified school girl stopped breathing. Slowly the claw trailed its way down her throat and to her collarbone. Her lungs started to burn so she took small, fleeting gasps.

The clawed finger moved past her collarbone and stopped in the center of her chest. The shocking stillness provided Kagome with the courage to open her eyes.

Liquid gold met wide chocolate brown eyes.

The room was to dark to see anything else. Kagome was enchanted by the glowing gold eyes that were looking down at her with all the distrust and fury in the world. Golden eyes narrowed down at her.

"Any last words, _wench._" Ground out the golden-eyed captor.

The clawed finger pushed harder on her chest, right above her heart, emphasizing the threat.

"Ka-kagome..." came out cracked and whispered.

Golden eyes blinked down at her for a moment in surprise before returning to there narrowed glare.

"I-I couldn't leave," she continued. "I tried but...but nothing changed."

Golden eyes widened in full shock now. Suddenly leaping off of her and relieving her of the weight Kagome sat up quickly and took several deep breaths. She could only make out the shadow of her captor as he stood in front of the X covered door.

It was obviously and _he, _with broad shoulders and long legs. From the way the shadow outline flowed together his hair was much longer than his waist. Squinting in mild confusion Kagome stared at the shadow outline of his head. Were those...ears?

"Why did you come here?" He suddenly demanded of her.

Her answer sounded relieved. At least she was being given the chance to explain.

"I heard a dog barking and I thought it might be lost. So I came up here to see if I could find it."

"Keh!" He sounded annoyed now, "Do you think thats _funny?_" he said.

She stared at him, dumbfounded.

"Considering I ended up trapped here because of it- no, i really _dont _think it's funny." She was getting annoyed now too. Who the hell gave him to right to demand answers after he nearly killed her? She didn't _have _answers!

The rustling of fabric indicated that he had crossed his arms. He probably didn't believe her.

"Look," she started, slowly standing up "I don't want to be here and you clearly don't want me here..."

His head turned slightly in her direction.

"...So lets help each other out and get me out of here, okay?"

"Keh!" It sounded mocking this time. "You think if there was a way out of here I'd a found it already, wench."

Kagome stepped closer to him. Details were beginning to form as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. He was wearing a traditional, red, haori. His hair was more silver then the moonlight and on the top of his head was a pair of unmistakeable, shockingly cute, triangular dog ears.

Kagome's mouth formed into a slight O at the sight of the fuzzy ears. He growled at her in response and took what she thought was supposed to be a more intimidating looking stance.

Her giggle came involuntarily to her throat. She knew why he didn't want her to see him now. His fuzzy pair of ears took away all hope of visual intimidation.

The man huffed and ducked under the X like he was walking away.

"Wait!" Kagome called, feeling slightly rude for laughing now. "What is your name?"

He turned around to glare at her. Kagome had to jog to attempt to keep up with him.

"None of your damn business." He replied.

"None of your damn business isn't a very pretty name." Came her slightly cheerful reply.

She didn't know why but the sight of his ears had suddenly made her feel comforted. They were so cute and unthreatening. No being with ears so cute could ever be dangerous.

"Don't get smart with me, bitch." He hissed at her.

"Kagome!" she retorted.

He clearly didn't give a damn.

With an unnatural grace and ease he jumped up into the tree canopy above her head. She couldn't see him anymore. Her foot collided with the base of the tree in frustration before she exhaled and sat down; defeated.

He was bizarre. In fact, this entire situation was completely bizarre.

Kagome curled her knees up to her chest and hung her head. Saline stung the backs of her eyes. Kagome shut her eyes tight- willing the tears to go away.

"Inuyasha." She heard from above.

Kagome's head snapped up quickly as she stared at the tree canopy with wide, curious eyes.

"Pardon?"

There was a slight pause before he replied.

"My name is Inuyasha." He said definitively.

Kagome bit back the onslaught of questions she had for him. After all, he had made two things absolutely certain:

For starters, there wasn't any known way out of whatever...mess she was in.

And second, they were undoubtably, and entirely, alone- _together. _

**Authors note: **So what do you think? ^_^. Let me know! I try to proof read as best as I can. Please review and leave any comments/suggestions you might have :D!


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own Inuyasha :(.

**Chapter 2: Fix ups and slip ups!**

The rain came down heavily and without mercy. A dark and dismal setting followed in the wake of the unrelenting rain. Mud squelched underneath angry stomps as Kagome stalked through the wet, dense forest. Her uniform shirt clung to her in unattractive ways and her bangs pushed into her eyes with soggy annoyance.

_I __**will **__find a way out of here! _She assured herself mentally.

Wiping her bangs away from her face for the umpteenth time with a frustrated snarl the school girl surveyed her surroundings.

_I'm making progress, I just know it! _She thought with twisted glee. The trees were definitely different then the ones she had passed by recently. Things were changing. She was getting _out _of whatever freakish warp in time she was stuck in.

With smug satisfaction Kagome turned around to confirm what she was certain she already knew.

Only to see the abandoned shrine house, in all its dilapidated glory, just slightly outside the rim of trees she had spent hours walking through.

Her soggy bangs forgotten, Kagome stared open-mouthed at the structure.

_Why! _Her brain tried to wrap itself around what was happening. She figured she had been stuck in this abnormal excuse for a reality for about a day. The majority of that time was spent walking for long periods of time in different directions searching, _hoping_, for a way out.

With a heart wrenching scream of frustration Kagome sank to the ground and dug her nails into her scalp.

"Done yet?" Came the oddly comforting mock.

Snarling, brown eyes looked up to meet belligerent gold ones.

Inuyasha was there, sitting in a tree above her, every time she had failed at finding a way out.

And every time she failed to find one he reminded her that there _wasn't one. _

Kagome sighed, accepting defeat. She was stuck here and it was time she accepted it before she went crazy trying to get a different answer from the same action. Her head bobbed numbly in compliance.

"Why am I here?" she asked.

Inuyasha jumped down, landing several feet from her.

"Hell if I know." He said, "Just don't get in the way of my job, got that?"

Her angry retort was a surprise even to her own ears.

"What **job!**" She yelled at him. "There's no one else **here!**"

Inuyasha glared at her with suspicious fury.

"My job as guardian of the Shikon Jewel. The Jewel you tried to _steal _when you got here."

"I didn't try to steal it!" She protested hotly.

Inuyasha took a step towards the soaked school girl and growled menacingly. She took a step backwards out of instinct. His eyes grew somber. She was the first person here in...he didn't even know how long.

All the time he spent guarding the Jewel he had done alone. He knew, better then anyone, what would happen if it got into the wrong hands. This land was cursed and he along with it. His eyes narrowed. This girl was able to come here, was _trapped _here, did that make her a curse as well?

The rain came down harder and her watered-down sent made its way to him. How could a curse smell so...sweet?

Inuyasha snapped himself out of his reverie.

"Get out of the fucking rain," He barked, bringing his arm up to cover his nose. "You stink."

And with that he left.

-**B-B-B-**

Daylight in abandoned-shrine-land was surprisingly beautiful. The way the sunlight filtered through the trees and sparkled off the tiny creeks that wound through the forest was peaceful.

Kagome stared up at the top of the shrines roof. She had been sleeping on the most stable looking portion of the viewing deck. One particular piece of wood looked like it was going to break away from the rest of the roof and fall onto her makeshift bed at any moment.

She tried to sleep inside the shrine; occasionally resorting to sneaking in during the middle of the night. Only to be met by a very angry half-demon each and every time.

Inuyasha was like a missile set to launch whenever she got too close to the Jewel. Kagome couldn't even begin to fathom what was so special about the shiny stone. It looked like a glorified pearl to her.

So now she was searching for blunt stones and small rocks to sharpen to serve as a hammer and nails. If Inuyasha wasn't going to let her sleep inside than she would just have to improve the _outside. _

Several hours, at least ten splinters, and multiple thumb-bangs later Kagome had successfully replaced the first step of the broken down shrine stairs.

Looking down at her work with an approving eye Kagome looked up at the rest of the stairs and groaned.

_This is going to take forever to fix! _Her reluctant stare wavered. _Good thing I have all the time in the world..._

As she proceeded to start fixing the second step her foot snagged on the broken one behind her and she fell backwards.

"Waahh!" came out the surprised wail.

Her fall was broken into one very warm, and muscular arm.

A clawed arm was wrapped around her waist while the other held a bundle of perfectly shaped wooden planks.

Brown eyes blinked bewilderedly into smoldering golden ones.

"Watch where you're falling, wench." Inuyasha said, shoving her forward and out of his embrace. Kagome regained her balance; still blinking with mild shock.

The half demon dropped the bundle of wooden planks before picking up the "hammer" Kagome was using.

"Feh, you'll never finish with this thing." He said sounding irritated.

A whirl of red rushed by her and before she knew it he was back with a more efficient looking "hammer."

Still looking remarkably similar to an owl, Kagome's blinking never ceased.

"Whats your problem, bitch? You brain dead all of a sudden?" growled the half demon.

"Kagome." She reminded him in a sing-song voice as the realization dawned on her:

He was going to help her fix the shrine.

**-B-B-B-**

The day passed by quickly.

Inuyasha ripped up the areas of the shrine that were obviously broken while Kagome was hard at working replacing them. By the time the half-demon tore out all the rotted, and broken sections of the deck Kagome had successfully put in three new planks.

The school girls hands were bleeding and cracked from wrestling with the wood and makeshift tools all afternoon. Wiping her hands on her green school skirt didn't seem to help.

"Damn." She muttered under her breath. At this rate her hands would get infected.

Inuyasha rounded the end of the shrine corner and raised an eyebrow at her.

"I'm not used to working with my hands-" Kagome explained quickly.

A growl rumbled from the half-demons chest, "As if that wasn't already obvious." He said.

Brown eyes narrowed in annoyance but she held back her retort. Maybe it was just her imagination but Inuyasha's tone was lighter than before. The vicious edge that held his voice hours earlier seemed to be narrowing.

A thick knuckle jabbed her on the forehead.

"The hell are you glaring at, girl?"

Kagome rubbed her forehead and sighed.

It was definitely just her imagination.

**-B-B-B-**

The last speckles of light were rapidly disappearing behind the trees and the darkness forced Kagome to stop working.

Tossing an indignant look in his general direction, Kagome noticed the lack of light seemed to have no effect on Inuyasha's eyesight.

"What are you?" She asked, leaning against the only fixed side wall of the shrine.

"Not lazy." He snapped.

Her eyes rolled. She was to tired for this.

No I mean..." She began, "I'm human. What are you?"

It was mostly a rhetorical question. Her grandfather told her stories about the demons that lived here. Before, the thought of demons was ridiculous and amusing. Now it was amusing only out of cruel irony.

Inuyasha stiffened slightly at her question. Mentally he debated whether or not to tell her. The more time that went by the more he was beginning to realize she was stuck here with him. The thought triggered an alien uneasiness in him that was indecipherable.

"Feh, I'm a dog demon." Pride coated his words.

"Oh." Was all she said in return. Well, that explained the ears.

The japanese girl groaned and banged her head softly against the side of shrine.

"I need a bath!" She exclaimed, sounded exasperated. "My own stink is slowly killing my ability to smell anything; that's how bad it is." Her nose crinkled.

Inuyasha snorted in amusement.

Grabbing her arm a little too roughly he pulled her off the shrine deck and onto the ground.

"Hey!" She half whined. "Where are you taking me?"

"Be quiet." He snapped.

His brisk paced halted suddenly and he let go of her arm. Ahead of them was a clearing in the trees and the sound of rushing water. An enormous circular clearing with a hot spring at its center was before her. Steam rose up from it in clouds and moonlight illuminated the clearing for her eyes.

Kagome whirled around, intending to thank him, only to be met by empty silence.

A small smile of gratitude graced her features.

With new found energy Kagome stripped her school uniform and dove into the spring.

All the aches and pains of the day melted away with each soothing moment underwater. Maybe she wouldn't mind being stuck here after all. Leaning her back against the side of the pool Kagome soaked and sighed with bliss. If this wasn't heaven; she didn't know what was.

No wonder Inuyasha had the most magnificent silver hair and clean skin. This hot spring worked wonders. Already Kagome could feel the grime and sweat that was caked into her skin melting away.

_Inuyasha..._she thought to herself.

Truthfully, he was strange. His outwards demeanor was far less than pleasant. His actions conflicted with his speech and the fluffy pair of puppy ears on his head made him look as gentle as could be. And his eyes...saying they were liquid passion didn't do them justice.

Kagome shook her head furiously. Day dreaming about demons in a strange, timeless shrine didn't seem like the smartest idea. Especially while she was naked in a hot spring.

Heavy eye lids warned her that it was time to get out of the hot spring. Lifting herself out of the hot spring Kagome fumbled around lazily for her uniform...

...only to come face-to-face with a pair of black, pupil-less, eyes.

More so than eyes, the black holes were carved into the face of a baboon pelt. The baboon stared at her, motionless, as she stared back in shock.

A scream rose to her lips.

The baboon brought a finger, a very _human_ finger, up to its muzzle; motioning for her silence.

She screamed anyways.

"_Inuya-AHH!"_ The baboon darted forward suddenly, knocking her back into the hot spring.

Water rushed into her mouth instead of the air she had expected. Kagome's diaphragm heaved to push the water out of her lungs as she plummeted deeper into the hot spring.

A clawed, strong, hand encircled her lower back and heaved her upwards.

When she broke the surface Kagome spat-up hot water. It burned coming out and she collapsed forward. After the sound of her own hacking died down a steady thumping reached her ears.

Molten, golden eyes stared down at her.

Kagome's fingers clutched Inuyasha's red haori. Her warm, naked, body was pressed against his chest. Fine threads of wet silver hair clung to her shoulders.

Prying her fingers off his haori with one hand and getting out of his jacket with the other Inuyasha wrapped it around her naked and shocked figure. Shoving her off him, he stood up and turned his back to her.

"What the hell happen?" He demanded. Not wanting her to see his blush.

"I-I don't...It all happened so fast." The wheels in her mind were turning rapidly. Trying desperately to catch up with everything that had just happened. Her fingers clutched the haori jacket closer around her body.

"I was getting out of the spring," She started to explain. "There was a...monkey...thing." It sounded so lame. "It didn't look alive but it's hand was like...mine. Human."

Inuyasha was especially perturbed by this.

"Lets go back to the shrine." He said finally. He stood up and started walking; not waiting for her to catch up.

Kagome stood up and followed him quickly, glancing into the empty forest behind her.

Maybe it was just a prank. Maybe all of this was just an elaborate set up.

The faint sound of rustling leaves in the distance met reached her on-alert ears.

Then again maybe not.

**Authors Note: **So what do you guys think? =) Sorry it takes me awhile to update. Hopefully the updates will come faster this month! Review and tell me your thoughts please! 3 ^_^


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **='( I still don't own Inuyasha.

**Chapter 3: Sleeping is overrated, anyways. **

Life resumed a normal pace after Kagomes encounter with the "baboon." Well, as normal as things _could _be when essential standards of living, like time, were absent. Inuyasha and Kagome continued to work on fixing the shrine from dawn until dusk. Much to Inuyasha's dismay, Kagomes ability to help fix the shrine hadn't improved at all. However, her jaw was becoming fine-tuned.

"I can't believe we aren't alone here," Kagome prattled on. "What if whatever that _thing_ is can help us get out of here?" she asked for the 5th time.

Inuyashas ears flattened onto his skull. Was there no mercy in this world for those who had to endure countless pointless questions?

"For the last time, _wench," _the word came out as a hiss through clenched teeth, "I don't know!"

Silence. Inuyasha relaxed his jaw and freed his ears from their death grip on his head. Peaceful, blissful, silence dragged on and he resumed his work on the shrine's roof. The stinging aroma of saline reached his senses first; followed by small sniffles.

His ears flattened to his head once more.

_Dammit of all the..._He hadn't meant to make her cry. He peaked his head over the side of the roof, just enough for one eye to see, and saw the girl sitting on the ground. Her knees were pushed up to her chest and her back was shaking with soft sobs. Black hair cascaded down her back like a river.

Inuyasha ducked his head back.

The half-demon stared at the loose roof shingles with longing. In all the time he had been stuck there he never gave a damn about fixing the falling roof before. Fixing it had never even occurred to him until...until that girl showed up and started fixing it herself. That girl who was still sitting on the ground sniveling.

_Kagome. _He thought inwardly.

His spine tingled strangely at the thought of her name. He didn't like it.

Puppy ears peeked over the side of the roof once more.

"Look," He began, "just forget about it."

Kagomes head picked up from he knees, shocked that Inuyasha said anything. She exhaled in resignation.

"I guess you're right..." she muttered.

Puppy ears disappeared behind the roof and resumed their work.

"It might have just been my imagination after all." Inuyasha heard her say.

He paused momentarily in his work.

It definitely wasn't her imagination.

Knowing that was all she was going to get out of him, Kagome started circling the sides of the shrine looking for anything they could use as tools. A few large stones were logged into the base of the shrine and collecting them seemed useful. During her rounds, Kagome stopped in front of the X that lead to the inside of the shrine.

Inside was a jewel. Inuyasha had called it the Shikon Jewel.

She took half a step closer, unconsciously.

_I wonder why he guards it..._she mused. _There must be some reason. Something special about it or something._

Her eyes were focused entirely on the X-shaped doorway blocker now.

So focused that it surprised her when she walked into a solid wall of muscle.

Kagome shook her head, blinking hard. She hadn't even noticed herself walking forward.

"What are you doing?" Golden eyes narrowed at her. A low growl vibrated between them.

_Getting lost in thought. _

"Nothing." She answered, looking up at him. "Just getting some more working material." She held up a few of the rocks she had collected as proof.

Inuyasha continued to glare at her.

She laughed at him in return. "Lighten up!" she said merrily. "I don't want your shiny pebble."

The tingles returned to his spine at the sound of her laughter. He still didn't like it.

He must have still been glaring at her because she cocked her head to the side, made a strange puffy look with her lips, and said "Why so serious, Inuyasha?" Before bursting into a small giggle fit.

The growl returned but his glare softened significantly.

"What's so funny?" He asked, trying not to sound too interested.

Kagome shook her head in response, wiping away her laughing-tears.

"You probably wouldn't get it." She said.

"Keh!" Inuyasha crossed his arms and started walking away.

Kagome walked up next to him, still smiling.

"You're a little bit like him." She stated.

"Like who?" He asked.

"Like the Joker!"

"Like **who?" **He asked again, genuinely confused.

Kagome shook her head again and went silent for a moment. When she finally looked up at him she gave him a strange, intense look.

"He's my favorite super-villain." She told him.

Inuyasha walked ahead of her now. Kagome stared at his retreating figure. The look on her face deepened as she watched him go.

_Definitely my favorite. _She thought to herself.

**-B-B-B-**

Kagome wouldn't go into the hot spring anymore. She was sleeping as close to the inside of the shrine as Inuyasha would let her. The dirt and filth on her felt like a second skin and made her feel constantly uncomfortable. The grease on her scalp would itch and when she would itch it the grease would cake under her finger nails. Then she would itch elsewhere on her body and the grease would get on her skin. It was a never ending cycle of unfortunate itching.

Still, her apprehension towards the hot spring was all consuming. Not even the terrible itching made her want to go back. Occasionally she would notice Inuyasha catch her itching if he was close by. The look her gave her made her flush with embarrassment and run away from him. What she wouldn't give to have it rain for just a small time.

The more annoyed she grew at her human needs the more observant of Inuyasha she became. He was incredibly strong, non-fidgety, and _intense. _His self-control was unwavering and his ability to notice things was unmatched.

Kagome was keeping her distance from him. Mostly, hoping he couldn't smell her, and partially because her day dreams were making her uneasy. With every glare she got from him she thought she would melt. And not in the bad way. Or maybe it _was _the bad way.

This particular night kept Kagome tossing and turning with discomfort. Every time she rolled to one side her other side would itch. Eventually she was so frustrated with her useless itching that she curled in on herself and tried not to scream.

Something feather light touched her face. It smelled rich and intoxicating.

Slowly uncurling from herself Kagome opened her eyes and met the gaze of two glowing, golden, orbs.

"Keep at it and you're going to rip your own skin off, Bitch."

"And what's it to you if I do, Inuyasha?" She snapped back at him. "Leave me alone. I'm tired."

No sooner had she made to roll back over and ignore him did it take for him to have her scooped up and thrown over his shoulder.

Instead of screaming in fright Kagome stared at her retreating makeshift bed, dumbfounded. She was getting used to his sudden weirdness.

"Where are you taking me?" She asked him incredulously.

"That's the stupidest question you've asked yet." His tone was thick with mockery.

Kagome scowled. It really was a stupid question. When you're stuck with one person in a time-barren zone with _absolutely no where to go _asking where you're going is a bit redundant...and pointless.

A shiver trailed up her spine.

"I don't want to go back there, Inuyasha." She protested weakly; absentmindedly scratching the side of her neck.

He didn't answer her. She knew why: he didn't care what she wanted.

All to soon she was bucked off his shoulder and tumbling into a hot, itch-free, abyss. Kagome swam franticly to the top from the surprise. The hot water soaked through her grease-ridden hair and soothed the itchy patches of skin. Brown eyes surveyed their surroundings wildly.

Inuyasha was resting up against the nearest thick tree. The red of his pants barely visible behind the thick trunk of the tree. Heart beat slowing down to a dull hum, Kagome relaxed. He was going to stand guard for her. She melted.

Kagome approached the side of the spring timidly. "No peaking." She said, preparing to take her shirt off.

"Keh," she heard. "Who would want too."

Kagome soaked in silent bliss. The knots of tension in her shoulders and back unfolding with each pleasant heat pulse. She must have been an masochist; denying herself something as pleasurable as this and enduring the darn awful itching. A smile graced her features as she sunk further into the spring. Masochist no more.

Staring up at the night sky that shone through the parted tree canopy above, it was difficult not to think of her family. They must be worried sick about her.

"So..." She started, filling the silence. More for herself than anything. "Do you have any family, Inuyasha?"

Silence answered her. Brown eyes peaked to make sure her bathing guardian was still there. Sure enough- he was.

"I do, you know." She heard him shift slightly in her direction. "A mom, a grandpa, and a little brother too."

Inuyasha paused momentarily before speaking.

"Where are they?"

The japanese girl laughed quietly in sullen amusement.

"Probably at home sleeping. Mom will probably make pancakes in the morning for my little brother. Grandpa will go into the shop and pray to whatever God he can for my safe return."

He didn't ask anything more after that. Kagome took that to mean he was done with the conversation.

After taking a few more minutes to soak and clean Kagome rose out of the spring and dressed herself.

"You still haven't told me how you ended up here." She offered, pulling her shirt over her head.

Inuyasha stiffened behind the tree trunk, grateful for its cover. How he ended up here...

A devilish grin plastered itself on his face. Taking quiet, calculated steps the half-demon slowly made his way over to the oblivious girl. She was ringing the excess water out of her hair with her back turned to him. Slowly, he bent over and whispered in her ear:

"I'm cursed to be here."

Kagomes heart slammed up into her throat as she whipped around, nearly smacking Inuyasha in the face with her wet hair. Seeing how close he was she instinctively took a step backwards. Her footing fell out from under her. Before she had time to realize she was tumbling back into the hot spring a clawed arm clutched her waist; halting her fall.

Fierce, golden eyes stared into confused and surprised brown ones.

"C-cursed?" Kagome asked him timidly; still not quite sure what was going on.

Golden eyes smoldered.

"For all the evil things I did. I'm too dangerous to be trifled with." His voice was thick with intent.

The japanese girl swallowed loudly. Her eyes searched his for any hidden meaning.

"Y-you're teasing..." She trailed off, not really believing her own words.

The devilish grin presented itself again.

"Not as dumb as you look after all." He said, releasing her.

Kagome glowered at him while he snickered in satisfaction. Once his back was safely turned she brought a hand up to her chest. Her heart was fluttering wildly underneath her palm.

He was dangerous alright. And not in the villain-esque ways like the Joker. Inuyasha was dangerous in wild and exciting ways.

And she was definitely in danger of not minding.

**-B-B-B-**

Taunt, triangular ears swiveled around in the night, ever alert. Inuyasha sat comfortably in a tree closest to the shrine. His gaze locked on the doorway that lead into the shrine and the girl sleeping next to it. She had slept peacefully after their trip to the hot spring.

_Stubborn girl. _He thought. If he hadn't made her bathe that night he was certain she would not have gone on her own. She was resilient.

The girl rolled over in her sleep, tossing back and forth and mumbling incoherently. The mumbling ceased suddenly and she shot up in her makeshift bed. Without the groggy fumbling of a person who has just been woken she got to her feet and walked in the direction of the X covered door.

Inuyasha knit his eyebrows together in confusion. Something was wrong.

In one fluid motion he swept down from the tree and dashed to the girl.

"Hey, Wench! What do you think you're doing?" He growled out menacingly.

Kagome seemingly ignored him and continued to walk towards the X covered door.

Inuyasha grabbed her shoulders to stop her from getting inside.

"Didn't you hear me?" He shouted at her.

No response.

Inuyasha whipped her around to face him and stared into a pair of eery, pupil-less eyes.

He shook her shoulders franticly. His grip was enough to stop her from moving inside the shrine but he could _feel _something tugging her inside. As if every inch of her was being pulled inside the shrine.

"Wake up, Bitch!" He shook her harder. No luck.

Whatever was trying to pull her inside the shrine got stronger. His grip on her shoulders was slipping.

He panicked.

So he bit her.

Marble white fangs pierced the junction between her shoulder and neck and she woke with a wild gasp. Inuyasha leapt away from her instantly. Snapping his jaw shut, mind reeling.

The dizziness came first and her knees buckled under her shortly after. Inuyasha stopped her fall with ease and gently put her on the cold wood of the deck. Taking a few steps back he fixed his gaze on her, waiting for her to come to.

Kagome brought a shaking hand to her head and sat up slowly, taking in her surroundings. Inuyasha was standing a few feet in front of her. The look on his face was like none she had seen before.

"I-Inuyasha?" She asked, her tone strung-out. "What's going on?"

"Hell if I know! One second you were sleeping like the dead and the next you were trying to get inside the shrine." He left out the part where he bit her to wake her up.

Brown eyes blinked at him with confused acknowledgement. Kagome brought a hand to her chest and said nothing.

Silence was not what he needed right now.

"What is it?" He asked, the edge in his voice dying.

"It's so warm." She sounded more fascinated than concerned.

Inuyasha let out the breath he didn't know he was holding.

Would the weirdness never end as long as this girl was around?

**Authors Note: **Thank you everyone for all the wonderful reviews! I really appreciate it. They encourage me to write faster! :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **No Inuyasha for me...

**Authors note: **Thank you all so much for your reviews! They really give me the encouragement I need to keep writing!

**Chapter 4: Just Chasin' Butterflies**

"_...and I tell ye this, Inuyasha, not solely for your own good but for the good of others. Guard the Jewel well and ye shall receive a Jewel of your own. Should ye fail, your life will end."_

The half-demon groaned and rubbed the base of his neck. It was stiff and sore from sleeping against the thin wooden doorway to the shrine. After Kagomes fiasco in the middle of the night Inuyasha could not comfortably return to his tree and guard the shrine at a distance. She had insisted that she was simply sleep walking. And that sleep walking was a common occurrence in her world. Then she promptly returned to sleep.

Inuyasha didn't trust it. He had been guarding the Jewel for too long to believe in coincidences anymore. Something was strange about the girl and he'd be damned if anything slipped by him.

Guarding the Jewel was his sacred duty. The duty that was forced upon him but his nonetheless. He knew very well what would happen if the Jewel got into the wrong hands: He would cease to exist. Guarding the Jewel wasn't just his duty- it was a matter of survival.

The girl rolled over and sat up, groggy. She rubbed her brown eyes and yawned unattractively. A dull, stinging pain resonated in her shoulder. Kagome brought her hang up to rub it lightly.

"Ow..." she muttered to herself; trying to get a look and see what was stinging. Her eyebrows knit together in confusion.

Inuyasha turned his head and pretended not to notice.

Brown eyes turned to him. Finally seeming to notice his presence.

"There are these weird little puncture marks in my shoulder." She sounded worried.

He twitched. She noticed.

"Hey," She started gently. "Is something wrong?"

Golden eyes turned on her. His gaze gave away nothing. Kagome had her head cocked to the side as she waited patiently for his reply.

"Feh!" He exclaimed finally; getting to his feet.

The furrow of her brow became more defined. What was wrong with him?

Before she could ask again he bounded off into the surrounding forest area. Leaving her alone with her thoughts and one deep eyebrow crease.

**-B-B-B-**

Boredom gnawed at her like a disease. Inuyasha hadn't returned since this morning. Fixing the shrine by herself was out of the question, she discovered. After very nearly hammering her thumb off twice and destroying three...or five wooden panels Kagome figured out early on that fixing things without a hospital around wasn't a good idea.

She was sitting on the first stone step of the massive staircase that lead up to the shrine. Every couple of seconds she would bounce a smooth, round pebble down the staircase. It would bounce down the staircase on each step until she couldn't see it anymore. A few seconds letter she would look at her side and the pebble would be there. It was like she hadn't thrown it at all.

A bored smile fixed itself on her face. I guess that was the upside to being stuck in a timeless-wasteland: nothing you had ever went very far.

Letting herself fall and land on her back she stared up at the tree canopy. More sunlight than normal filtered through the trees today. A delicate, golden glow engulfed the surrounding shrine area. Kagome closed her eyes and absorbed the warmth.

It was strange to her that she knew nearly nothing about Inuyasha. After all, she was the only other person here. Inuyasha seemed like he was trapped in whatever reality this was for a decent amount of time before she arrived. So wasn't he supposed to be lonely or something? All she knew about him was that he was a dog demon. And brave. And strong. And amazing.

A warm blush colored her cheeks at the direction her thoughts were going. It was becoming less and less of a surprise as time went by.

Brown eyes opened slowly, dragging her out of day dreams and back into reality. She sat up leisurely and looked beside her for the pebble she was mindlessly skipping before. Three streams of bright, brilliant, orange and pink floated by her; captivating her eyes.

They were butterflies. Strange, magnificent, multicolored butterflies. They danced together as a group. The color trails they left behind them created a strange mixture of beauty and fascination. Without a second thought or a care in the world Kagome got up and followed them.

They fluttered together as a group, never once breaking harmony, into the forest. Kagome followed them eagerly. They weaved through the trees, never once in danger of breaking formation. The pace Kagome followed them at quickened. She never got any closer, nor further from their dazzling display of color.

Inuyasha rummaged through the forest. He spent the afternoon slicing off pieces of wood from the larger trees and sanding them to make planks that would fit on the shrine. The first stone he used as a sander was quickly dying and he needed a new one.

Footsteps approaching quickly caught his attention. One ear rotated in its upcoming direction. There was only one person the steps could belong too, and she was approaching at an alarmingly fast pace.

When Kagome came into view he noticed something was wrong instantly. She was fumbling over fallen tree branches and narrowly swerving around tree trunks like she didn't see them. Her pace hastened, becoming more desperate with each step.

_What the hell is going on! _He thought to himself before dropping the wooden slab he was sanding and taking off after her.

The japanese school girl disappeared between two dense trees. Inuyasha ran faster to catch up with her. When he broke through the clearing he fumbled to a halt.

Kagome was standing on the edge of an open clearing. Her arm out stretching into the air like she was trying to catch or touch something fragile. Her feet were trudging forward...towards a cliff. The look on her face was the same glazed-over expression she wore when she was "sleep walking" the night before.

She moved faster suddenly; narrowing the gap between her and the cliffs edge.

_NO! _He screamed mentally. Inuyasha lunged forward, arms outstretched to cage the moving female.

"Kagome!" He yelled frantically at her.

The glaze in her eyes dulled and her pupils returned to normal. "Inuyasha...?" She asked softly before his arms closed in around her. He crushed her close; very nearly smothering her between the crook of his nick and his shoulder.

Brown eyes blinked in confusion. Inuyashas grip on her never loosened. She struggled in his grip to free one of her hands and push away the bangs over his face. Golden eyes were gazing at her with molten fury.

"What were you thinking!" He barked at her.

"W-What?" She was confused.

"You almost walked off a cliff!"

Kagome squirmed a little more in his grip, trying to turn her head. His hold on her loosened ever so slightly. Just enough for her to see over her shoulder. Kagome inhaled sharply at the sight before her. Inuyasha jerked his head up at the sound of her gasp.

There was no cliff. No grassy field or butterflies.

The shrine, the archway, and the massive stone staircase stood before them. As if they were never in the forest to begin with. Snow poured down from the tree canopy and blanketed the area in white. Shivers shook Kagomes body when Inuyasha released her. The air was frigidly cold and her school uniform offered no protection from the elements.

Inuyasha snarled suddenly, drawing her attention. Kagome turned her head to see what he was looking at.

Right under the archway was the baboon man from the hot spring.

Her heart thudded loudly in her chest.

The baboon wasn't moving. The white of the pelt almost blended in perfectly with the snow. The long dark snout and two black holes for eyes were the only things that made him visible against the white back drop.

Summoning what little courage she had Kagome yelled: "Who are you!" at the motionless baboon.

He said nothing.

Several tense moments ticked by. Inuyashas snarl growing louder with each passing second. The baboon took one large step forward, completely passing underneath the archway and stopped.

That was all he needed. Inuyasha lunged at the solitary baboon. His claws outstretched and ready to strike. He was quick, the baboon thing wouldn't even know what hit him. The distance between them narrowed. Inuyasha raised his clawed hand, ready to lash out against his opponent...

...only to find Kagome standing in front of him instead.

Reeling back and halting his momentum suddenly sent him crashing into a snow pile.

"Inuyasha!" He heard Kagome call from behind him.

Wait, behind him? Hadn't she just been standing in front of him?

He scrambled to his feet as quickly as possible. Just in time to see Kagome running at him from behind. She stopped just short of reaching him.

"Inuyasha, are you alright?" She asked, concern evident in her voice.

"Feh! I'm fine." He wasn't, really. Things were getting weirder by the second. "Where did that fucking monkey go?"

"He disappeared as soon as you ran towards him, I think. I blinked once and he was gone." She said slowly.

Kagome stared at him, genuinely concerned. Inuyasha looked a little strung out. After being stuck in this strange place Kagome didn't know what to expect. Now it was clear that whatever was happening to them wasn't normal for Inuyasha either.

"Inuyasha..." she started, "What's going on?" Her voice held a firm edge to it. Whatever was going on was affecting her. As long as she was involved she needed to know the truth.

"I don't know." He answered honestly.

He was certain he had seen Kagome nearly about to walk off that cliff earlier. However, in all the time he spent here, not once had he ever seen that same cliff or grassy opening before. He was also certain that he had seen the baboon standing under the shrine archway. Kagome reacted to the baboon and said as much. But when he looked up again it was _her _standing in front of him instead. Yet it seemed she was never there.

Golden eyes narrowed at the ground. It was still snowing. It never snowed here before. What was going on? He shifted his gaze to meet a pair of worried brown eyes. He owed her an explanation. The only problem was- he didn't have one. And the only answers he had were ones he wasn't willing to give.

**-B-B-B-**

A relentless rattling sound echoed throughout the inside of the shrine. Kagome tossed and turned in fitful intervals of sleep. It took her a few moments of drawn out incoherency before realizing the rattling sound was her own teeth. The snow had yet to stop falling and her teeth chattered together to compliment the falling temperature. The school girl pulled her knees to her chest and groaned in quiet misery.

Inuyasha had allowed her to sleep inside the shrine tonight- given the freezing circumstances. He was leaning up against the wall, sleeping, about an arms reach from her. Brown eyes glanced towards the pedestal in the center of the room. The Shikon Jewel rested peacefully on it.

_It's still just a glorified pink pearl..._Kagome thought to herself. A strong chill rippled through her causing her to hug her legs closer to her body. She rubbed her hands up and down her legs, vigorously trying to stimulate warmth but to no avail.

Warmth suddenly enveloped her and her body felt heavier. Opening her eyes met her vision with red. Inuyasha had draped her in his heavy, _warm, _haori jacket. Kagome snuggled in closer to it, greedy for its warmth. She lifted her head slightly to look at Inuyasha. He was still leaning against the wall, eyes closed.

"Thank you." She whispered to him softly and drifted off into a warm, peaceful slumber.

When he was sure she was alseep, Inuyasha cracked one eye half open and gazed at the sleeping school girl.

The image of her about to step off the cliff from the previous afternoon was engraved into his minds eye. Worse, the way he had felt watching her take those tentative steps towards the edge. A shot of dread buried itself in his gut and refused to be shaken.

**Authors Note: **Tell me what you think! As ever, I appreciate all of you and thank you for reading my story. I apologize for the delay in update. The updates should be coming a little faster in the next few months. Please review!


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